Let’s kick off cookies’ biggest time of year with the most essential recipe: Christmas Sugar Cookies. Soft, tender, and surprisingly easy to make, these are THE perfect cutout sugar cookie for the holidays.
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The best Christmas cookie recipe.
This melt in your mouth cream cheese sugar cookie recipe has been my go-to roll out cookie dough since well before I was tall enough to preheat the oven. It’s also a reader favorite here on Well Plated!
- These chewy Christmas sugar cookies are sturdy enough to mail in a care package (maybe with some Bourbon Balls and Salted Caramel Truffles?), but they remain magically soft up to a week after baking. They’re great for freezing and both the dough and the frosting are very forgiving, so much so that little ones can easily help to make and decorate them.
Unfortunately, a lot of good sugar cookies are ruined by hard or flavorless frosting, but this recipe won’t let you down. It sets enough to where you can stack the decorated cookies without messing them up, but it’s soft enough to bite into easily. No one wants to bite into hard frosting!
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Cream Cheese. While they don’t taste like cream cheese, cream cheese is the secret ingredient that makes this sugar cookie dough so easy to handle. It tenderizes the cookies and adds a subtle tang that balances the sweetness of the sugar and frosting.
- Flour. All-purpose flour works best for this recipe. Be sure to measure properly. If you add too much flour, it will make the cookies tough.
- Butter. For melt in your mouth Christmas sugar cookies!
- Vanilla + Almond Extract. Adds delicious, complex flavor to the cookies. Don’t skimp and ensure you use pure (not imitation) extracts.
- Lemon Zest. My secret ingredient. You’ll love the addition!
- Decorations! Top your cookies with sprinkles, candy, sparkling sugar, or whatever your heart desires.
5 Star Review
Made these over the weekend with my kids—they are PERFECT! This will be my go-to cut out cookie recipe now. The dough was really easy to work with too. My only regret is not doubling the recipe. We devoured the whole batch in 2 days!
— Joan —
How to Make Christmas Sugar Cookies
Mix the Wet Ingredients. With an electric mixer (or stand mixer), cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Finish adding the wet ingredients.
Finish the Dough. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Chill the Dough. Chilling is absolutely critical for easy handling! Divide the dough into quarters and roll them between two sheets of parchment paper; thicker dough will give you plusher, more tender cookies. Refrigerate the dough until you’re ready to roll and cut.
Cut the Cookies. Place the dough on your counter one sheet at a time (i.e., leave the rest of the dough in the refrigerator until you’re ready to roll it), remove the top sheet of parchment, and cut away. Re-roll the scraps and repeat. If at any point the dough becomes too sticky to handle, simply pop it back into the refrigerator for a few minutes.
Bake. Place the sugar cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 9 to 11 minutes at 350 degrees F, until pale golden at the edges. Let them cool completely before you frost them.
Frost. Stir together the ingredients. For colored frosting, add a few drops of food coloring. Frost and decorate the cookies. ENJOY!
Christmas Sugar Cookies
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Ingredients
For the Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese at room temperature (do not use fat free)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Frosting:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- ¾ teaspoon almond extract
For Decorating:
- Food coloring
- Sprinkles
- Colored sugar
- Other decorations as desired
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, then add the egg and beat until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add the cream cheese and beat for 1 minute, scrape down the bowl once more, then beat in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and lemon zest until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, mixing just until fully incorporated and a soft dough is formed.
- Divide the dough into quarters. If using the dough within 24 hours, roll each quarter to a 1/4-inch thickness in between two sheets of parchment paper (alternatively, you can store the dough in a ball or disk and roll out when ready to cut and bake). Be careful not to roll the dough any thinner or the cookies will not be as soft. Keeping the dough flat, transfer it to the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight. Repeat with the remaining dough (it is fine to stack the dough “flats” on top of each other to save space). If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, divide the dough in half, pat each into a disk, then wrap each disk tightly in plastic and freeze in a ziptop bag for up to 1 month. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then proceed with the recipe as directed.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Remove one of dough flats from the refrigerator. (If you stored the dough in a ball or disk, roll it to a 1/4-inch thickness now, between two layers of parchment paper.) Remove the top layer of parchment paper, then with cookie cutters, slice the cookies into desired shapes. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes, until barely lightly golden brown and the edges are dry. The cookies will look slightly underbaked. Let cool completely.
- To make the frosting: In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons milk as best as you can (the frosting will be very solid at this point). Beat in the corn syrup and almond extract until the frosting is smooth and glossy. If the frosting seems too thick, add more milk, one teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. If making colored frosting, add a few drops of food coloring until you reach your desired color intensity. Frost and decorate the cookies as desired. Let the frosting set for a few minutes, then enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Store leftover baked cream cheese sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, separating the cookie layers with wax or parchment paper, for up to 4 days or freeze frosted or unfrosted for up to 2 months.
- Dough can be prepared through Step 3 and stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 day or frozen for up to 3 months. Let stand at room temperature until soft enough to scoop, then bake as directed (if frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator first).
- Shaped, unbaked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze: place the unbaked cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, freeze until hardened, then transfer to a ziptop bag. Bake directly from frozen, adding a minute or two to the baking time.
- If you want to make a monster batch of cookies, this recipe can be doubled.
- Do not substitute the corn syrup—it is key for icing that sets up but still stays soft. Normally I’m all for baking without it, but here it is worth it.
Nutrition
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First I had to look up what track #5 was on Bublé’s album.
Second, I had to look up when my local cookie exchange is this yearhttps://www.wellplated.com/instant-updates/not schedule yet, so I’d better get on top of that.
Third, I think these look delicious enough to warrant using corn syrup, esp if but once a year…though I’m not sure I’ll be able to make these but once. Maybe once before Thanksgiving. I might lose track between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’ll go ahead and blame that on the corn syrup in my system ;)
Making these for our square dance Christmas party this week using a hippopotamus cookie cutter. Our theme is “I want a hippopotamus for Christmas.” We will dance to that song and win prizes with the hippo theme. The cake walk (danced in the square) prize is a plate of these cookies. So happy to have a good recipe I know I can count on. Will add silver sprinkles to the iced tops and a blue icing eye. Thank you!
Lily, those cookies sound adorable! I hope your party is a blast—happy holidays!
I do love the Christmas carols, but they started playing them 24/7 last week. As in, November 11th. Have they lost their minds?!
These cookies are fabulous, though, anytime, anywhere. So pretty!
And how perfect they do look! I’ve never tried cream cheese cookies before but clearly it’s a holiday must!
They look so cute! I can already feel Christmas :D
This is seriously my fave time of the year. . I LOVE these cookies, Erin! They make me so happy! :) I shot a holiday cookie video over the weekend so we channeled Christmas Day and it was awesome! I love your two key tips!!! These cookies are perfection!
Alice I cannot wait to see your videos! I bet you nailed them and are going to be a superstar!
Hi Erin! I have drool-worthy memories of cream cheese sugar cookies when I was a kid. I am now gluten intolerant and don’t do Corn syrup. I’m wondering if you (or someone you know) has tried these with GF flour in the cookie, and Agave syrup in the frosting, and what the results were? Great tip about rolling out dough before refrigeration, brilliant! Thank you!
Hi Kathleen, I’m afraid I haven’t tried either of those substitutions, so it’d be an experiment. It doesn’t look like any commenters have reported back with a gluten free swap, but one person did try with agave and enjoyed the results. If you decide to give it a try, I’d love to hear how it goes!
These cookies are awesome
Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review, Betsy! I’m so happy that this recipe was a hit!
I can’t do it yet! If it was colder here, I think I could, but it’s been crazy warm, and I just don’t associate that with Christmas…Next week is when I’m starting it, including putting up my million Christmas decorations. Back when I didn’t’ really like cookies (crazy, I know), sugar cookies were basically the only cookie I liked. These make me remember why I love them so much, plus, they’re so flipping cute!
Looks great! And how convenient to freeze the extra batches of dough- cookies ready to go throughout the season without additional prep. Good thinking!
I’m all about the cookies in a hurry :-) Thanks Georgia!
I am definitely going to try this recipe. I am a cookie-making machine at Christmas time and I am always in search of the perfect rolled/cut-out recipe. I can just imagine the flavors of the cream cheese, almond and lemon combination. Can’t wait!
Also, the “so-simple-why-didn’t-I-think-of-that” hack for rolling the dough between parchment paper to chill is GENIUS! Thanks again Erin!
Thank you! I hope you absolutely love these, and I’d love to hear what you think of the recipe too! Happy baking :-)
Hello. Would these still be as good with while fat cream cheese? That’s all I have and I wanted to make them right now. I don’t want to compromise the recipe though
Hi Pam, I think the cookies will turn out with either reduced-fat or full-fat cream cheese! The only one I do not recommend is fat free. I hope you enjoy!
Oh my goodness! These look so good! And they are so pretty to!
ooo, I’m soo not ready for Christmas yet. But, I guess it’s good to have the recipe ahead of time. Sugar cookies are always hard and not usually my fave but if you say these are soft I will have to give them a try! I will make them with my niece when I get back to America!!
Michael Buble will do that to ya :) These look amazing- love the idea of cream cheese for texture and flavor here :)
10/10
First time I’ve made sugar cookies all by myself. I grew up making them with my Grandma, but didn’t have her recipe so I found this one online. I was nervous that I’d mess it up, but they came out perfect and SO tasty!! My husband told me this is the best thing I’ve ever cooked. Haha!! :) (And I do cook a lot)
Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review, Sabrina! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit!
These cookies are so pretty :) I’ve never heard of cream cheese sugar cookies before, but I so want to try them now. I’ve been on the hunt for an easy sugar cookie recipe, and this sounds like a great one to try!
Dani | http://www.styledvariety.com
I have big sugar cookie fans here who can’t wait to try these but, unfortunately, one of them has a tree nut allergy. Would you recommend adding additional vanilla extract in place of the almond extract or would this compromise the taste you’re going after in the recipe? I am so intrigued with the cream cheese/soft texture…I hope we can make this work!
Hi Sandra! Great question. Just swap the almond extract for more vanilla extract in the cookies and the frosting. The flavor will be different, but still absolutely delicious. I hope you love these!
Thank you!
Oooo a girl after my own heart! I SWOON over Michael Buble during the holidays. I made my hubby put up our tree last weekend. Hehehe. I love Christmas too much!! Actually, lies – you can’t love Christmas too much. I also LOVE this recipe – my sugar cookies always end up hard and taste ‘meh’. THESE look so soft and amazing!!! Pinning!
Can I double this recipe and still get great results?
Chelsea, I’ve never tried doubling it myself, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Just be sure to work with the dough in batches, keeping whatever portion you are not rolling immediately in the refrigerator. I hope you love the cookies!
Made these over the weekend with my kids, and you are right—they are PERFECT! This will be my go-to cut out cookie recipe now. The cream cheese makes them so soft and the dough was really easy to work with too. My only regret is not doubling the recipe. We devoured the whole batch in 2 days!
These cookies were amazimg! Perfectly soft and yummy. I hand wrote this recipe to keep in my box! :) Thanks so much for sharing! Many people loved them!
Jenee, I am THRILLED to hear this!! Thanks so much for sharing your review, and I’m honored the cookies have a spot in your recipe box :)
If you have an egg allergy can you omit the egg? Would you reduce the amount of flour then?
Hi Angie! Unfortunately, the egg is quite critical in this recipe. You could try substituting additional cream cheese or reducing the flour, but it would be an experiment. I’m sorry I can’t give you more direction, but I have never tried the recipe this way.
Hi there Erin,ur cookies look wonderful..and of course I making this soon,so I would like to ask,once I’ve frost the cream cheese cookies into the fridge will the frosting melt easily??because this is the first time of doing it..tq
Hi Karen! No, the frosting will not melt. I hope you love the recipe!
I am so pleased to see you highlight this recipe. It is now the only sugar cookie I make for decorating….have already made two batches this holiday season! I highly recommend it to your readers. Your tip regarding chilled dough is spot on….I additionally place the cookie sheet with cut-out dough in the freezer five minutes before baking (keeps them from spreading and leaves the edges nice and straight). I allow them to air-dry after decorating for about 12 hours (or overnight) if they’re going to be stacked for gift giving (yes, they remain soft!). Thanks again for a great recipe…hope you don’t mind my additional tips. Happy Holidays!
Thank you SO MUCH, Sandra! This is such a wonderful endorsement, and I’m thrilled that you consider these your go-to decorating cookies! Your tips for freezing before baking and letting the frosting air-dry are excellent and will be so helpful to other readers. I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to leave this comment! Happy holidays to you too!
These remind me so much of what my grandma used to make!!! And she would be right there with you on the “do not use fat-free” cream cheese train. :)
These look so festive and delightful for the holidays!
Thanks so much!
Does the frosting get permanent enough that it won’t get everywhere after t has dried? Wanting to add one of each to a cookie bag I make for friends but not sure if it will be a disaster with the frosting? Appreciate the guidance!
Hi Nicole! The frosting sets up well, so that would be fine!
I am making these to put in a cookie jar for a shower gift. Will they do well? Are they hard enough? I have been using a traditional cut out recipe to make really thick uniform royal ivong cookies but would love one that tastes better. Thanks!
Hi Stefani! Other readers have done similar gifting ideas, and they’ve worked really well. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Wow, gorgeous! I never make cutouts bc I don’t have the patience…lol. Can you make all of mine for me? Thanks :)
Mafe your cream cheese cut out yesterday with granddaughters we loved them
Hi Tamara, I’m so happy you and your granddaughters loved the cookies! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this kind review!
I like the cream cheese twist on these and those cookies look so lovely! Like the sprinkles! :)
The best sugar cookies I have ever made perfect texture and taste! Great recipe!
YAY, Susan! I’m so glad you love them. Thank you so much!
Corn syrup is 100% glucose derived from corn. High fructose corn syrup, the stuff everyone worries about eating too much of, has been treated to convert a portion of the glucose to fructose (normally 45%). Sucrose (table sugar) is 50% glucose and 50% fructose. Most adverse health outcomes are related to fructose consumption. I wouldn’t worry too much about finding a substitute for the corn syrup.
Cant wait to try this recipe with my neices!
Thanks for the additional information, Alex! I hope you and your nieces love the cookies!
The cream cheese twist with sugar cookies sound awesome! I was wondering if you thought omitting the lemon zest would greatly change the flavor of the cookie? I have everything to make them but that. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Raven, the flavor will be a bit different because you’ll lose the hint of lemon flavor. But I probably wouldn’t let lack of lemon zest stop me from making a batch of these cookies! I hope you love the recipe!
Getting ready to try th recipie now
I hope you enjoy the cookies, Jessica!
These are also my go-to cookie recipe (for a couple years now!), and I’ve shared it with others who have asked for it as well. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing it with us!
Christine, this makes me SO happy to hear! Thank you so much! I’m so glad you and those around you have enjoyed them. :)
Wow your tip for rolling out the dough instead of placing it in the fridge in a ball may have just changed my life! Why did I never think of that? This recipe sounds great! Think I’ll try this for some Valentine cut outs. Thank you!!
It changes EVERYTHING! Isn’t it funny how things like that don’t often come to mind? I hope you enjoy the cookies, Amy! These will be so cute in Valentine shapes.
This recipe is perfect, thank you so much! I needed a soft sugar cookie recipe to use with an angular cutter (anchor-shaped) that would not puff out and lose details and this was amazing. Thank you!
YAY I’m glad it was the perfect recipe for you, Erin! Anchor shapes sound wonderful. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this wonderful review!
Do these ship well for college goody box???
Hi Micki! These cookies stay fresh at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for about a week. If you can’t get the cookies to arrive that quickly, I would suggest a different recipe. These chocolate chunk cookies would ship like a dream (https://www.wellplated.com/dark-chocolate-cookies/) and these Pumpkin Snickerdoodles would too (https://www.wellplated.com/pumpkin-snickerdoodles/) would too.
Could the dough be dyed black with gel color?
Thank you.
Hi Erin, I’ve never tried that personally, but I know lots of bakers dye their cookie dough, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t work here. I hope you enjoy the cookies!
Can regular cream cheese be used or must it be reduced fat? Bo
Hi Shelly, yes, you can use regular cream cheese! I hope you love the cookies.
Please please tell me I can bake then freeze prior to baking! Need to make soon for a shower and really excited about recipe
Hi Fran, you can freeze the dough for up to 1 month, or you can freeze the unfrosted, baked cookies in an airtight container as well. I hope you enjoy them!
What could be used instead of almond extract?
Good question! You can swap in more vanilla extract if you don’t have or want to use almond. I hope you enjoy the cookies!
I am so excited for Holiday baking!!!!
Yup, gotta make these every year! Sugar cookie cut-outs are a must have a Christmas!
The cutest!!! YAY for holiday baking :)
I just made a batch of these and the kids went ape over them! The classics are the best :)
So glad you all enjoyed them, Gerry! I agree!
These look so fun and festive! A must for the Christmas cookie platter!
I just got SO excited about holiday cookie season!
This looks incredible! Yum!
Thanks Lisa!!
These look amazing and I am totally making these for Christmas, my kids will love it. Plus I never knew you could freeze cookies!
Hope you all love them Lizzie! And you sure can :)
HI I love chewy sugar cookies, but I know that chewy cookies are difficult to do in cut out form. So are these soft and kind of chewy or are they loft house cookie soft?
Hi Sarah, they’re not as thick and fluffy as lofthouse cookies, but they’re not as thin as a standard cut out sugar cookie either. I think they’re somewhere in between. I hope that helps!
Best sugar cookies I’ve ever had. I always thought Betty Crocker or other long-standing classic cookbooks are where I should find the “best” classic cookie. NOPE. This recipe is THE BEST roll out recipe. The lemon and almond are not overpowering but give the cookie flavor depth, the consistency is perfect and they are so think and soft. Also very happy with how the icing worked and set. I made a double batch for a holiday cookie party and the guests raved they were the best cookies ever. Make these for Christmas!!
<3 THANK YOU ELIZABETH! This is just the most wonderful review I could ask for. I'm honored you chose my recipe for your party and so happy they were a hit!
The cookies came out tasting good but I don’t think it was worth all the effort and definitely not kid friendly as each step takes too long and was too difficult for the kids to cut out with the cookie cutters (kept sticking to parchment paper). Making a batch of quick sugar cookies is easier and faster.
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, Gabi! I’m sorry to hear you didn’t think they were worth the effort—as you can see from the other reviews, these cookies have been a hit for many people and families, but everyone has different preferences. I know it’s disappointing when a recipe doesn’t go as expected, so I truly wish it would have been different for you!
Hi Erin, low fat cream cheese isnt available here it is ok if i use full fat cream cheese? Thank you.
Hi Qristy, yes, you can use full-fat cream cheese! I hope you love the cookies!
Erin, I made these instead of my grandmother’s sugar cookie recipe (and I was hesitant to break that tradition!) My husband enjoyed them more than hers. The subtle almond and orange flavors make them perfect. I guess he’ll demand these yearly now. ;) Thanks, as ever, for your delicious recipes.
Kathryn, I’m so happy to hear the cookies were a hit! I know it’s hard to decide to try something new, especially with a beloved recipe already, so I’m happy to hear you enjoyed these! Thanks for leaving this awesome review!
Oops. By orange I mean lemon!
Can you use the cookie dough if you leave it in the fridge longer than 24 hours? I couldn’t find anything specific online re: cream cheese cookie dough, but a couple of sites said 5 days in fridge for sugar cookie dough. Is the 24 hours for safety or just for consistency?
Good question! I’d say it’d be fine in the fridge for up to 2 days, although you’ll want to wrap it tightly in plastic. I haven’t tried myself, but I think it should work out! I hope you enjoy the cookies!
Wow…these cream cheese sugar cookies are incredible and yummy! Are they gluten-free? Thanks for sharing! I found your post from Pinterest! I’m also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it. Thanks for sharing Erin!
Hi Jill, the cookies are made with all-purpose flour, so they are not gluten free. I have not tried making them with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend either, so it’d be an experiment to make them gluten free.
Thank you so much for this recipe! My family started a tradition a couple years ago where we make Sugar Cookie Houses (instead of gingerbread cause we just don’t like the taste). It’s super fun! We have a contest to see who makes the best one. We use your cookie recipe for the houses and then a different recipe for the frosting/glue. It taste MARVELOUS and after we’ve made our cookies, we eat them lol. It’s super fun! So thanks!
That sounds like so much fun, Emily! I’m so happy to hear that these cookies work so well for house building!
Erin, you did it again! I have never attempted to bake roll out cookies from scratch. All that chilling, rolling, re-rolling, and measuring thickness of dough had me reading & dreaming of making frosted sugar cookies but lacking the courage to try. Until last weekend. Your description of this recipe was compelling & persuasive. And the verdict — absolutely delicious and so simple to make! I made a double batch for our annual work Christmas Party. I wanted a fun activity for kids to do and decided to set up a cookie decorating station. It was wildly successful! I rolled out big rectangles of dough between parchment on Saturday night. Cut out and baked cookies Sunday afternoon. I now have a treasured recipe and new family tradition!
HOORAY Marina! I’m thrilled to hear this recipe and technique were a success for you! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this wonderful review. Enjoy the cookies!
help I did every thing according to recipe. Went to roll them and they stick to the paper put back to cool same thing happens rolled up in ball and chucked it ☹️
Betty, I’m sorry to hear you are having trouble with the dough! It sounds like you need more flour. Try flouring your work surface and the top of the dough, as well as your rolling pin. Also, make sure it is well chilled, as it’s easier to work with that way. I hope that helps for next time!
Hi Erin, was wondering whether I can use full fat cream instead of low fat cream cheese? What is your feedback. Want to try this for my family. Thanks for sharing ;)
Hi Zach, yes, you can use full-fat cream cheese. Enjoy!
I can’t wait to make this for the holidays! I would like to have more definition around the frosting edges, but hate royal frosting. Do you think I could pipe the frosting in the recipe? Sorry for the dumb question – I’m relatively new to baking, but am so excited to make these!
Not dumb at all Joy! I would not pipe this frosting as it is pretty thin. I would suggest you look online for a pipable buttercream. Hope you love them!
Thanks so much for your recommendation!
These cookies are picture perfect!
Can I substitute gluten free flour?
Hi Elaine, I haven’t tried the recipe with gluten-free flour, so it’d be an experiment. If you do decide to give it a try, I’d love to hear how it goes.
Hi Erin! I love all your recipes! I’ve been doing sugar cookie cut outs with kids and grandkids for 30+ years now and am always looking for a new recipe. I have used a small amount of white whole wheat in place of the white flour for awhile now and people seem to like the taste. Do you think that would work in this recipe?
Hi Susan, yes, I think it would! I haven’t tried it myself, but if you decide to experiment, I’d love to hear how it goes.
Erin, I made this with part King Arthur white whole wheat – I used 1 c. white whole wheat and 2 c. white. It turned out great and no one noticed! This is my favorite cookie recipe so far for cut outs. It did help that I used the method of rolling them out before and then freezing or putting the flat circles in the fridge. They cut out so much easier – especially since I had my two barely three year old grandkids! The flavor is great and you don’t taste the cream cheese or the white whole wheat.
Woohoo! I’m glad it was a success, Susan. Thanks for taking the time to review the recipe!
Hi Erin – this recipe looks delicious and I’m looking forward to trying it. Would you please confirm something? In your write up, you state the recipe does not contain eggs, but there is 1 egg listed within the ingredient list. If you’ve addressed this in earlier comments, I apologize. Thank you for your help with this!
You have many delicious gluten free recipes, so I am curious if you have tried these cookies using gluten-free flour? My oldest has celiac, so having any flour containing gluten is not an option. She and her non-celiac siblings miss making & eating sugar cookies, especially around the holidays! Thank you in advance!
Hi Karin, I have not tried this particular recipe with gluten-free flour, so it would be an experiment. If you do decide to give it a try, I’d love to know how it goes!
Instead if corn syrup use agave syrup but use drop by drop till I got the right texture
Hi Gabrielle, thanks for reporting back! I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies!
Hi Erin!
My grandchildren, age 6 and 9 and I made these today . Ok , I’ll just tell ya my age ,65 , and I have made many ,many cut out cookies and these were the easiest , funnest , bestest cookies ever ! I always have expectations of quality fun time with the grands when we make cut outs , but it usually doesn’t go that way .I’ll spare you the sad details ! But not with these cookies ! Rolling them out ,refrigerating ….THEN cutting was a brilliant idea . Sooo much easier ! The kids were able to do it mostly all by themselves.
The frosting was so easy to work with and dried to a nice finish, so they were easy to stack for storage .
AND we loved the flavors ! I’ve never made a cut out with cream cheese and lemon flavor , what a nice change and the frosting was just the right amount of sweet . Thank you for making our cookie day fun filled and full of “sweet” memories . Have a blessed Christmas!
Alma, I am so thrilled to hear the recipe was a hit! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this wonderful review. :) Merry Christmas to you as well!
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Will be used many times during the year with different cookie cutters to match the occasion. i.e. , flowers for spring along with bunny shapes – etc. Think of your own needs & hunt up diff cutters to match the season. Wow – keep up the good recipes coming.
Carol, thank you so much! I hope you love the cookies.
I made this just over the weekend. Out of all the recipe’s i have tried, this was by far the best and most easiest! My cookies came out perfect, easy to bite into and most of all delicious. Thank you for making me look good whilst my guest ate them.
Hooray! I’m so glad they were a success, Lilly! Thanks for taking the time to report back too.
I stumbled upon this recipe last year and my goodness I’m so glad I did. These are the BEST tasting sugar cookies! It’s our new go to recipe for Christmas cookies. Matter of fact I just doubled the batch and placed them in the fridge to bake later today with my son who enjoys decorating these with me. Memories that we will never forget ♡
Sabrina, this is so so meaningful to read. THANK YOU!
Hi!
Can regular cream cheese be used for this recipe, or does it have to be reduced-fat? I’m planning to make them tomorrow and have regular cream cheese in the fridge.
Thank you
Hi Jody! You can use regular cream cheese. I hope you love the cookies!
I tried this recipe out with my 7 year old and we were truly delighted with the end result, plus the storage time on the dough is good to.
Thank you for sharing, Veronica! I’m so happy to hear that this was a hit with you and your daughter!
Oh My God, it is amazing, Thank for Share your post.
Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review!
These rolled out easily, and are delicious. The cream cheese and lemon make sure they’re not too sweet, and the soft texture is lovely.
Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review, Tess! I’m so happy you enjoyed these cookies!
Erin, you have converted me to sugar cookies. This are absolutely amazing in flavour and texture. I cut them into small rounds (got 68 cookies from this recipe as written!) and baking them with raspberry jam in the middle. Divine. Thanks for yet ANOTHER recipe I’ll be adding to my holiday baking roster!
*baked them
And also, I can’t count ?♀️ I got 59, not 68 ;P
I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit, Jenn! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review!
Erin: can this dough be used for drop cookies instead of roll cookies ?? Im not that great with roll out cookies . always roll dough to thin.
Candy, I’ve only ever done this as roll cookies so that is what I recommend. Leave the dough a bit thicker and these will turn out great! I have specifics in the recipe. I hope that you love them!
Hi, I was wondering if I could add freeze dried strawberry powder to make it strawberry cream cheese cookies (strawberry and cream cheese go so well together). Do you think it would change the texture of the cookies? How much do you think I should add? Thinking of making these for Christmas for family and friends.
Nidhi, I’ve never done anything like this, so I can’t vouch for how it would come out; I worry the strawberries would dry out the cookies. A nice idea would be to use a strawberry cream cheese frosting like the one on this cake: https://www.wellplated.com/sprinkles-strawberry-cake-with-fluffy-cheesecake-frosting/.
I like cream cheese but some family members don’t. Does the “tang” flavor added taste like cream cheese? That is, would one be able to detect cream cheese flavor in the cookie?
Cassie, no I don’t think these taste like cream cheese; they taste like soft, not-to-sweet (but just sweet enough!) sugar cookies.
Thanks!
How do these taste without frosting? I want to use my new rolling pin with Xmas designs carved in, but don’t want to compromise on taste
Hi Cathy! I think these still taste delicious without the frosting. I hope you love the recipe!
I just made these yesterday and they are my go to sugar cookies!! They are sooo yummy!!! Thank you for this recipe and they look so pretty !!
YAY! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review, Laurie! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit!
I have a question about making these into jam cookies. The directions say to roll them out to a quarter inch, cut them and put them on trays, and then make a half an inch indentation for the jam. If they’re only a quarter inch deep cookies how do you make a half inch indentation?
Hi Terry! I recently updated these instructions to say 1/8-inch indentation. I hope this helps!
Thank you! That’s what i did, and they were amazing!!! My new fav!!
So happy to hear that, Terry!
This is insane you did not post amounts of each ingredient. That’s strange.
Hi Bella! The amount of each ingredient is listed in the recipe card. You can easily access it by clicking the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page. I hope this helps!
Erin, can I use regular full fat cream cheese, or will that mess with the texture?
Hi Tracy! You can use regular cream cheese. I hope you love the cookies!
Can you use whipped cream cheese instead of block cream cheese?
Frannie, I’ve never tried that! I’d recommend sticking with the recipe for the best possible texture. Since the cream cheese is prewhipped, that might alter things a bit.
Can the frosting be flooded or piped onto the cookies,
Hi Lori! I would not pipe this frosting, as it is pretty thin. I would suggest you look online for a buttercream frosting that can be piped. Hope you love the cookies if you try them!
The cream cheese sugar cookies were the best. What a great dough! Made them for Christmas , and just made snowflakes for my granddaughters FROZEN bday party. Fabulous taste, even eating them plain. Love them!
And its good tasting if it’s a little thicker or thinner…I’m not a good cookie roller outer :(
Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review, Denise! I’m so happy this recipe has been a hit!
Look no farther…this is the perfect sugar cookie recipe!!! I’ve made them twice so far. The almond really makes them amazing! My kids love them… my husband says they are pillowy soft… and they pair nicely with my morning coffee! Thanks for the perfect recipe that has become a family favorite!!
Thank you for sharing this kind review, Elaine! I’m SO happy that you’ve enjoyed these cookies!
What can I use in place of almond extract for children with allergies to almond?
Hi Kim! You can swap in more vanilla extract. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
I have a question – do you think these would work as a slice and bake cookie? Not sure if it would hold together or spread too much that would distort the image “inside” the slice and bake cookie?
Hi Alyson! I’ve only tested the recipe as written, so it would be a complete experiment. If you decide to play around with it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
I’m going to try it this weekend and will let you know! One last question. When you bake these as described above – do the cookies spread out a bunch or hold their shape well? Thank you!!
I hope you enjoy the cookies, Alyson! I’ve found that they only spread a little and hold their shape very well.
Erin – the cookies turned out amazing! I made my own version of a slice and bake – Rudolph in a snow globe – the cookies held their shape through the entire process and the reindeer on the inside still looks like a reindeer after it was baked (I would post a picture but don’t think I can) The texture and flavor of these cookies are amazing. I will definitely be making them again in the future!
I’m SO happy that they were a hit, Alyson! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
The cookies are delicious. Love how the icing hardens. This is a keeper.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Lynn! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
These are the best sugar cookies ever! My grandson rates them 10 stars! He didn’t wait until they were frosted.So soft and melt in your mouth.
Whooo hooo! Thank you for letting me know Roxane!
Absolutely delicious and super easy. These are the perfect sugar cookies for cut outs! These bake up perfectly with a good amount of softness, if you bake them just a minute or two longer you can get a tiny bit of crunch, but still keep the softness. I think it’s a versatile dough depending on what you want. The lemon zest was a great addition!
The frosting was perfect too. It sets up nicely.
Also, rolling out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper is genius. I don’t know why I’ve never thought to do that. So much easier and less messy!
We’ll be making a second batch tomorrow because we already ate the entire first batch.
So so happy to hear that Melinda, thank you!!
Just read your recipe for roll out sugar cookies. I no longer make rool out cookies; all my kiddos are out on their own. However, I love a good ‘drop’ sugar cookie. . Can this recipe be used
‘as is’ for a drop cookie with a little sparkly sugar on top??
BTY, I love your recipes.
Hi Suzanne! Unfortunately, I can’t recommend making the cookies this way, as they’re designed to be rolled out. I’d recommend checking out my other cookie recipes to see if there’s a drop cookie recipe that you’d like to try!
This recipe is a keeper. Skipped the lemon zest because I didn’t have any lemons on hand and made my own cream cheese frosting, which sent it over the top!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Deb! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Hi Erin! Begem’s friend here :) I hope you are well! Quick question….can I double the vanilla and not use almond extract? Would it alter the taste that much? Also, I’ve never zested a lemon – do I need a zester tool, or can I use a fine cheese grater or can I use a knife?? Sorry, inexperienced baker here!
Hi Andrea! You can certainly swap in more vanilla for the almond extract. While you can zest a lemon with a sharp knife, a microplane or box grater will be easier. I hope you enjoy the cookies!
I made them with no almond extract and just a little lemon extract instead of lemon zest and they turned out really good still.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Kimberly! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This is a perfect cookie dough to make whatever type of cookie you like. Rolled, cut out, stuffed.. It bakes up a bit crispy on the outside and nice and soft when you chew. It is easy to work with when chilled. I made Nutella crescent cookies with mini chocolate chips. A bit like Rugelach cookies. Excellent.
I’m SO happy that you enjoyed them, Lorraine! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
these are absolutely amazing!! I love the dough…so easy to handle. The last of the vanilla, almond and lemon is incredible. I made three batches this week.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Lisa! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
What type of kosher salt do you user for baking?
Great question Christina! I use Morton’s.
Can the frosting be made ahead or stored in a container?
Jen, yes! I think that will work. I’d store in the fridge, then let it come to room temp before using so that it is spreadable.
I am going to try these today as they sound delicious. Can you pipe the icing?
Hi Keisa! I would not pipe this frosting as it is pretty thin. I would suggest you look online for a pipeable buttercream. Hope you love them!
Made these at Christmas and just made again for Valentine’s Day, love this recipe! Sometimes I don’t even frost them, the cookies are good by themselves. But the frosting is yummy too. Love the almond extract in them. Now I just have to improve my cookie decorating skills!
I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed them, Dede! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
These cookies were delicious! I doubled the dough recipe and the cookies were still perfect. I didn’t use the frosting in the recipe, just a canned frosting and it was just the right sweetness. Thanks for the great recipe! I’m definitely saving this one!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Lisa! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Spectacular! I used Maple extract in lieu of almond and lemon zest. Also maple extract in frosting rather than almond. So very delicious! Soft tender centers with nicely firm edge. Easy to work with rolled out dough, but I had to intermittently put rolled out dough, (between wax paper) back in refrigerator to keep firm for ease of cutting and handling cookies. I won’t bother with any other sugar cookie recipe again! Best we’ve ever had!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the cookies, Phyllis! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Can I substitute powdered sugar for granulated sugar
Hi Paula! Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend this swap here, as I haven’t experimented with it myself and I want to make sure they turn out perfectly for you.
I just made a gluten free version of these cookies and they are the best! For the regular all purpose flour I substituted 2 ¼ cups Bobs Red Mill 1-1 all purpose gluten free flour and ¾ cup oat flour then I rolled out using the GF all purpose flour. Once I cut out the cookies I put them in the freezer for as few minutes to help keep their shape in the oven.
Hi Natalie! Thank you so much for giving me your feedback! THANK YOU!
question will the frosting harder enough to cookies in individual wrappers? i know u said they stay soft in the middle
Hi Shamica! yes the frosting will harden enough to individually wrap them! Hope you enjoy them!
We cut the sugar by 40% and it was still perfect! We did however find a butter creme frosting that used almond extract and it’s a match made in heaven! Thank you! Was never a fan of sugar cookies before this!
Hi Kristine! So glad it worked out for you! Thank you for your feedback and review!
I was wondering if your frosting recipe is pipeable. Or do you think it is too thin?
Hi Glenda! I would not pipe this frosting as it is pretty thin. I would suggest you look online for a pipeable buttercream. Hope you love them!
Are these cookies chewy or more firm and crisp? And if they aren’t chewy, any chance you know how to adapt the recipe to make them more so?
Hi Teresa! It’s all right in the description! These are a soft and chewy cookie! Hope you enjoy them!
Can the light corn syrup be substituted with some else?
Hi Hannah! I’m sorry but I haven’t found an adequate substitute for it in this recipe yet. Hope you enjoy them if you decide to make them!
Anything with cream cheese perks my interest…that said, this was a great recipe. All instructions were easy to follow, and I followed it pretty much to the “T”!!! These cookies were so soft and delicious. A big hit. Especially loved the freshly grated lemon. Thank you!
Hi Traci! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I’ve tried different sugar cookie recipes over the years, including sour cream, and these are the best by far! I baked them and stored them overnight in an airtight container without frosting and they have the soft and tender texture I’ve been looking for. Instead of using parchment I had more success rolling them out on my covered pastry board with a little flour. Delicious flavor! Will try the frosting next. Thank you for an excellent recipe!
Hi Jan! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
These are absolutely amazing! I froze some to see i could make ahead for Xmas and they tasted even better ! Highly recommended these
Hi Amanda! So glad you enjoyed the cookies! Thank you for this kind review!
Can you just use vanilla extract as we have nut allergies?
Hi Sarah! Yes, that should work. Hope you enjoy them!
Can you use regular full fat cream cheese?
Hi Barbara! Yes, you can use full fat cream cheese. Hope you enjoyed them!
delicious!!
Hi Kristy! So glad you enjoyed them! Thank you for this kind review!
What is amount when weighing flour. You recommend that method but I can’t find the amount.
Hi Melody! 1 cup measures anywhere from 120g to 125g. When measuring with a scale you simple add your 1 cup measuring cup. Zero out your scale and then add the flour. Your scale will them tell you the exact amount when you fill your cup. Hope this helps!
These truly are the perfect sugar cookie! Simple and delicious, they cut and bake perfectly every time. The icing is perfect for detailed decorating and it sets up really nicely with a professional-looking sheen, without getting really hard. This is the second year I’ve made this recipe for Christmas goodie gifts and I will probably never try another sugar cookie recipe at this point. EVERYONE always loves them and asks for the recipe! Oh, and I do bake them for 8 min to keep them a little softer.
Hi Anna! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Love these cookies. This is my second year making them, and after many years of trying different recipes I have found my go-to cutout cookie recipe. The cream cheese, lemon zest and almond flavoring make these so yummy just by themselves, but then I frost them with cream cheese frosting and wow I want to eat them all day. Thanks for this great recipe!
Hi Dede! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Nice consistency for the cookies, but icing is not my favorite. Overall pretty unimpressed.
I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, John. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too!
I made these cookies for my family on Christmas Eve, they absolutely loved them!!! The only thing I did different was use Pure Lemon Extract instead of lemon zest & I put a little lemon Extract in the frosting mix. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!!
Hi Yensai! So glad you enjoyed the cookies! Thank you for this kind review!
I made these cookies for the first time for Christmas. Cut outs are a lot of work, and I’ve been disappointed with other recipes because the cookies have been too crispy, the dough is too sticky, or the cookies spread in the oven. I’ve tried a lot of other recipes, and these were the best! The dough was SO EASY to work with, and the cookies retained their shape perfectly during baking, and they are the perfect texture. Everyone who tasted them loved them, and I got requests for the recipe. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe. I will never make another cut out recipe again!
Hi Julianne! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I make these cookies all the time. They are my ultimate favorite! My husband even loves them and he doesnt like sugar cookies. They are always soft and chewy. Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Angie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I love this recipe so much! My family uses it for holiday themed cookies all year long. Such a perfect upgrade from basic, bland sugar cookies. Easily and deliciously made gluten free. Side note: They’re soooo good frozen and freezer stashes might not last long 🤣
Hi Ashlea! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Hi,I made this with egg replacement and vegan cream cheese and they turned out beautifully! I think next time I would add a little more zest, however this is a keeper recipe!
Hi Susan! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review and the feedback on your substitutions!
This is a great cookie recipe! I personally followed the recommended recipe alterations and my family loved them!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Betti! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Why do some recipes call for an egg yolk and 8 is if cream cheese?
Hi Tena, I’m actually not able to tell you about other recipes but if you have any specific questions about this recipe I’d be more than happy to help! Hope you enjoy it!
I was so sure these would be wonderful, I made two batches. Mixed them on Friday, baked them on Saturday, frosted on Sunday. I followed the recipe exactly, even using the timer to make sure I mixed the ingredients for the recommended time. Both batches together yielded 68 cookies! Enough to send a Mom Box to my son and his roomies at college. They are DELICIOUS. My husband even grumbled he wasn’t getting as many cookies as his son….the lemon zest is subtle and wonderful combined with the almond. The frosting is easy and it hardened up enough to package for mailing. And it won’t break my son’s teeth that I spent so much money on to make pretty. Thank you!!! Fantastic cookies!!!
That makes me incredibly happy to hear Amy! THANK YOU!
As a follow up, my son received his cookies at college. All his roomies were home and they each had a bag with their name on it. The cookies were a little broken (not all) but let’s blame that on the mail delivery people shall we? But he said still soft and delicious! So, 4 days after completion they were still almost perfect!!! Incredible!!! And yes I’m the only mom to send goodies, so they think I’m super cool. I’ll really do anything to get that description. 😂
YAY! Thanks Amy!
These look great. can you tell me weight you use for one cup flour? I couldn’t find that. Can this frosting be put in piping bags? My typical frosting for cookies is buttercream and i use piping bag to decorate. Thanks again for your great recipes!
Hi Lisa! I didn’t weight the flour, just measured it out. Also the frosting it too thin to pipe. Hope you enjoy them!
Delicious, moist and perfect dough for cookie cut outs. These are definitely included in the Christmas cookie boxes.
Hi Nessa! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Greetings!
My four-year-old grandson and I made these cookies yesterday. I don’t bake much and I usually shy away from any recipe that calls for rolling out dough. I followed the directions to the letter and I was pleasantly surprised to find the dough easy to roll and cut. Keeping the dough cold made all the difference. My grandson did a lot of the cutting, frosting, and all of the decorating. The cookies are delicious and we made a fun memory. We will definitely make these cookies again.
Hi Susan! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Made these and I’m not a baker…super easy and really good cookies.
Hi Catherine! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I made these for my office cookie swap and they were a hit! Nice and soft for days and with a better depth of flavor than standard sugar cookies. Thanks so much for sharing this great recipe!
Hi Erin! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
wondering if its okay to use salted butter , even though it calls for unslated butter?!
Hi Matty! Sure that would be fine. Hope you enjoy them!
We love making these cookies during the Christmas holiday! They’re delicious and great for kids to help, too!
Hi Leslie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I love Erin’s recipes! They are incredibly easy to follow. This one in particular was amazing, every step of the way. The dough was so easy to work with and the texture of the cookies after they were baked was light and fluffy. Hard to eat just one.
Hi Dana! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
By far the best cookie cut out I’ve ever used. Made it true to recipe once and halved it the second time. Perfect each time and doesn’t even need to chill that long! Thanks!
Hi Samantha! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this kind review!
For nut allergies, read labels! Imitation Almond Flavoring can be used if it is not from a facility that processes peanuts &/or tree nuts. Be extra careful in purchasing “clear vanilla” – most are from nut processing facilities.
Thanks for the tip Elisa!
These have been a hit with every party I’ve had! I have them in the oven as we speak but this time I’m making them a week before the party. If it’s only a week out can I store them in the fridge or should I still put them in the freezer? How long are they good in the fridge for unfrosted?
Thanks!! 😃
So great LS, thank you! I have all of the storage notes in the recipe card. Store leftover baked cream cheese sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, separating the cookie layers with wax or parchment paper, for up to 4 days or freeze frosted or unfrosted for up to 2 months. Hope this helps!
Too many ads on this site. Can barely see the recipe. Videos are playing, things are popping up, good lord.
I’m truly sorry for any inconvenience the ads caused you, Henderly! I will certainly keep paying close attention to the number of ads and how they load, as I never want them to hinder your ability to view the recipe or the blog post. I do truly appreciate your feedback and apologize again for the inconvenience! Also, there is a quick and convenient “jump to recipe” button that will help you get to the recipe faster and a print button to have the recipe quickly at your fingertips. Hope this helps!
Made 69 praying hand cookies for Vacation Bible School. I Had to double recipe. They turned out wonderful. Appreciate the recipe. Thanks
Hi Barbara! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Question. Do these spread any when baking?
Hi Cynthia! Nope, they hold their shapes pretty well that is why they are perfect cut out cookies! Enjoy!
Divine! These are the best, easiest Christmas cookies and are a part of our Christmas traditions
Yay! So happy to hear!
These taste delicious and so fun to make with kids! My nephews ate more than they decorated, but that’s ok, it was a great way to teach them the art of cookie baking.
What a sweet memory, thanks for sharing Anne!
Decorating sugar cookies is one of my kids favorite things to do during the holidays! This recipe comes out great every time
I am going to use this recipe from now on. These made the most perfect sugar cookies ever! Cream cheese must be the key. These will make beautiful snowflakes for Christmas time. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
I used to make something similar with my mom when I was super young and it was one of my favorite traditions for all the holidays. It was exactly how I remembered them tasting!
That is so special Ruth, thanks for sharing!
Holy yummy sugar cookies! You had me at cream cheese, but I didn’t know they would be as good as they turned out. My 5 year old son loved making them with his superhero cut outs. Thanks for kicking up a notch and posting the best sugar cookie recipe around.
Makes me so happy to hear! Thank you!
This recipe is wonderful! I am so happy that I found it. I have wanted to bake my own cookies that tasted as good as the ones I buy at a local bakery. It was so fun and so easy to make. I love making it with my kids.
Makes me so happy to hear, thank you Sally!
Oh my!! These are the BEST sugar cookies! The dough is so easy to put together and to work with. They taste amazing; buttery and not too sweet. The frosting was PERFECT!
So glad to hear you loved them!
I just made these yesterday. I made two batches, and I left out the almond extract because I don’t have any. They turned out so beautifully! I love the frosting it sets perfectly.
I made them a couple days ahead for my son’s 1st birthday. I froze them and then decorated them with your frosting recipe a day before the party. So simple and everyone loved them.
So glad to hear that! Thank you Alicia!
What a perfect recipe, Erin! I made these with my nephews, and even though we totally over-handled the dough (they are 5 and 8 and were having a little too much fun with it!), the cookies still came out perfect. It’s a very forgiving recipe, and I was so grateful for that.
Kristel, I am so so soo happy to hear this, thank you!
Will full fat cream cheese be ok?
Absolutely!!
These sound amazing, but can I use full-fat cream cheese instead of low-fat? That’s what I usually have in the house.
Judith
Sure you can! Enjoy!
Thanks for the recipe! I would like to prepare the icing a day in advance for a kids cookie decorating party. How would you recommend I store the icing?
Hi Sarah! It can be stored at room temperature, just as if it was already on top of the cookies. Hope this helps!
Can you use full-fat cream cheese instead of reduced fat?
Full fat is fine. Enjoy!
Now I read that others had the same question, whether one could use full-fat cream cheese. Apologies for the redundancy. Went with the full-fat and the cookies are delish. I found that allowing the dough to warm up a bit after refrigeration, not to room temperature but not refrigerator temperature, either, that the dough can be more easily removed from the cookie cutter.
So glad you enjoyed it, Robert! Thank you!
Hi there! Making this recipe RIGHT NOW for my 9 year old’s classroom and I’m wondering if I can make the frosting while the dough is in the fridge?
Yes, you can!
I would like to make these cookies for Christmas. I was wondering if you could make them without putting the frosting on I prefer just colored sugar has anybody else used just this thank you.
Hi Mary! Sure, the frosting is just the topping.
Sheer brilliance storing the dough between parchment paper! No flour needed, no mess! I’ve made these many times with my grandsons and they love them! So easy and we do the frosting too!
Thanks Erin!
So happy to hear that, thank you Deka!
Thank you for this recipe. I have been making it for years at Christmas and they are the BEST!! I do leave out the almond and lemon extract (personal preference) but this recipe consistently delivers the most delicious sugar cookies and my family has so much fun decorating them!
That makes me so happy to hear, thank you Sal!
Overall I love how these turned out. Soft and great flavor-love the lemon zest addition! I will say…I struggled with exasperating, sticky dough that stuck to my rolling pin. After I somehow (thank you flour) managed to roll it out and chill it, it STILL stuck to my cookie cutters -so annoying! What did I do wrong??
Hi! You certainly didn’t do anything wrong. Next time just tap the cutters in a little flour first. Or you could try nonstick spray. Glad you were happy with them!
Love the recipe for both the cookies and frosting. First time making cut out cookies. What’s the best way to roll the dough out between parchment paper? The paper kept sliding when I was rolling the dough out. Loved how easy the cookies came off the paper!
Hi Margaret, I don’t normally have this trouble but maybe weigh down one end of the parchment paper? Glad you enjoyed them!
This was my second year making these for Christmas and they are still the best!!
Yay! Thank you Katie!
Why kosher salt? Literally chewing on salt chunks! Next time I will use salted butter instead.
Hi Deb, I’m sorry to hear that, this is a first that anyone complained about the salt used in these cookies, may I ask what brand of kosher salt was used?
I made these for Christmas and they were FANTASTIC. I especially love the almond flavoring in the frosting. I wanna make them for Valentine’s Day but I don’t have any cream cheese right now. Could I make them without and they’ll still be good? I’m trying not to run to the store if possible
Cory, unfortunately I’ve only tested these with cream cheese and think it’s pretty important. I totally get not wanting to go to the store, but I’m afraid I don’t have a good sub
I made these without cream cheese and without lemon and they turned out amazing!
Glad it did! Thanks Cory!
Baking isn’t really my thing, and sugar cookies are far from my specialty. Still, I wanted to create some festive, decorated cookies to surprise my family for the holidays. I gave it a test run this Thanksgiving. The dough was super easy to make, and the cookies were a total hit. I knew your recipe would be amazing! Thank you!
So great to hear! Thank you Terry!
I just finished baking my first batch a couple of minutes ago and had to rush here to thank you for this recipe!! I’m in love, it has great taste and it’s super easy to make!!
So glad to hear! Thank you Sharon!
This is the best sugar cookie recipe a the cookies turn out soft. My granddaughter loves them the best of all the cookies that I make. The icing with the corn syrup is so easy and hardens so well. I even use it on my gingerbread cookies. I follow the instructions…my advice…don’t change a thing!🎄
Lynn, this is such great feedback, thank you!
I’m concerned about the lemon zest….I’ve eaten many sugar cookies over the years but never one that had a lemon flavor….can anyone respond to my concern? Is everyone a fan of the lemon? Thank you!
Hi Jacquelyn! The lemon in this is quite subtle, but you can leave it out if you prefer.
Another question…why do you use a silicone baking sheet instead of placing cookies directly onto cookie sheet? Thank you!
Hi Jackie! I find lining the sheet pans gives cookies a better texture and reduces spread. You can also use parchment paper.
Thank you! I will pick up a slicone mat and give it a try!
This photo is to go with my review about how wonderful the cookies are. Nothing fancy but works for us. There are never any left when I put them out! What a fabulous recipe.
I LOVE seeing this photo!! Thank you so much for sharing! xo
These are delicious! The cream cheese gives them a little tang which balances perfectly with the icing!
Erin, I love the cream cheese in it too! Thanks so much for taking time to share this reiew!
Will these cookies bake up sturdy enough to use with Royal Icing?
Absolutely Barb! They’re pretty much perfect <3
Best sugar cookies ever!! Such good flavor. I made them a little bigger and they were so soft and delicious.
Thank you so much, Paige!
Can I sub full fat cream cheese for the reduced fat? Thanks!
Yes you can Tracy! Enjoy!
What a wonderful experience for my first Christmas Sugar Cookie! The dough was wonderful and the parchment layers for rolling were fantastic! No dough on the roller; no rolling silos.
A personal assessment though; I could use an art class or two. I wasn’t prepared for the frosting skills. I must have thought ‘It Just Happens.’
The finished product has a wonderful taste I believe is due to the extract blends. Very nice Erin. Thank you.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Fred! Thank you!
(Photos to add a long with the review a moment ago.
Thanks Erin. I’ll improve my decorating! (How can I not. LOL)
Love seeing the photo! Thanks Fred!
So yummy!!! Thanks for the great recipe!!
Glad you enjoyed them, Kelly!
Oh wow! This is a wonderful cookie recipe! So easy to make. Making this for my son’s birthday. I just made very very small modifications but nothing changed. So soft, yummy! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Great to hear! Thank you Sasha!
I have made these cookies for several years, and love them each time!
Great to hear, Mandy! Thank you!
I’m glad I tried it! The cookies are delicious! The dough held up well as my 3-year-old granddaughter and I cut out Christmas shapes. The icing was tasty, though I prefer a recipe without corn syrup.
So glad you did too, Orpha! Thank you!
So yummy!! Thanks for the recipe!! :)
So glad you enjoyed it, Kelly! Thank you!
This is my favorite cookie to make for the holidays and these did not disappoint. They are tasty and tender and the bit of almond in the icing gives it great flavor. A goodie for sure!
Yay! Thank you Adrienne!
This was a fantastic cookie recipe! I tripled the recipe and used it for my annual holiday cookie gift boxes and saved some dough in the freezer for my kids to cut out and decorate for Santa cookies.
So great to hear! Thank you Katie!
12/10!!!! This was such a fun recipe to make and a complete hit with the crowd. The dough was super easy to work with and the instructions were extremely easy to follow.
These look fabulous Jess! Thank you for sharing!
Delicious cookies! The lemon is a really great addition that pairs really well with the sweetness of icing. I had a little trouble with the dough sticking to the parchment paper, but sprinkling some flour helped.
Thanks so much for sharing, Merry Christmas!
Would I be able to skip the almond extract?
Hi Lola, you could but it might change the flavor profile some. Enjoy!
The best sugar cookie recipe I’ve tried! The cookies are soft and flavorful, and the icing compliments it nicely! It was a fun weekend baking project.
So glad you enjoyed them, Krista! Thank you!
It was my first time making these and it will be my go-to sugar cookie recipe! Rolling the dough between parchment paper kept the consistency of the dough consistent rather than adding flour. The frosting was also the PERFECT amount and so good. I am already excited to make these for the next holiday!
These look fabulous, Courtney! Thank you for sharing!
I made these with my boys this weekend. I’ve been on a search for a good soft sugar cookie recipe, and I think this will be our new go-to! They are so tasty!
So great to hear! Thank you!
I made this recipe and we loved it. It was very easy to make. I lost my recipe that I had used the last couple years and this was a good substitute. I was leery about the icing because I’ve used royal icing in the past, but this was really nice, it dried quickly and looked beautiful. I did not end up coding the entire cookie as I felt like that was a lot of sweetness, but I love the way the decorated cookies turned out.
So glad you enjoyed the cookies, Trish!
We loved making these from start to finish! The almond extract and lemon zest makes these really special and delicious, and my 2- and 4-year-olds loved decorating and eating them! Rolling them out before chilling the dough worked really well, but we found they were easiest to cut out by first moving them off the parchment onto our floured prep table. Be sure to add these to your holiday baking list!
I love seeing this, Ellie! Thank you for sharing it with me! Beautiful!
These are a really good solid sugar cookie recipe. I made some Christmas cutouts with my son. They are super delicious.
Beautiful, Katie! Thank you!
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Great to hear! Thank you Laura!
These were a hit with everyone. I brought them to the office and shared the Holiday Cheer.
Yay! Love to hear that! Thank you Debbie!
I made these this weekend and OMG they are so good. I need to make again as my icing and decorating them looked very child like. No matter, a great excuse to try again and take my time decorating them. I think by this time next year I will have perfected my technique in decorating. Great recipe!
Thank you Carol!
The cookies turned out great. I was skeptical about the frosting but it left a nice glossy finish. We did have to add more milk than the recipe said to make it spreadable
So happy to hear, thank you Christine!
This recipe is perfect. Chilling the dough is necessary for the cut out process. I will use it again next year. The cookies taste great and look good, too.
So glad to hear! Thank you Cole!
I would make this recipe again. Easy enough for my 2 year old grandsons to help with
Great to hear! Thank you Kim!
I made the “Chanukah” version. Very good cookies! Dough freezes nicely. I hope my grandchildren like them! Grandpa did! I submitted the photo to enter the gift card giveaway. Yum!
They look amazing Rona! Thank you!
Love the hint of lemon, which balances out the sweetness of the icing especially well!
Thank you Jaina!
Sooo yummy! The dough is perfection and so easy to work with.
So glad to hear, thank you Jessica!
Great cutout cookie recipe! I love when a cutout cookie recipe calls for Almond Extract and this one has it in the dough and the frosting! The frosting sets up so nicely. I will definitely use this again- not just for Christmas!
Thank you Ashley!
We absolutely loved them. They are our family tradition. All the kids comer over roll, cut, bake, and decorate. Soft, delicious and easy to prep the dough a day ahead.
This is very similar to the recipe that I use, Simma’s bakery Cream Cheese Cutouts, which appeared in the JournalSentinal many years ago. I don’t use baking powder, and ‘my’ recipe calls for a half cup less of flour, 3 ounces of cream cheese, and an egg yolk. Similar but not the same. I’m going to give ‘your’ recipe a try. I LOVE your recipes and cookbooks! I even gave my 12 year old vegan granddaughter a copy of your latest g=cookbook for her 12th birthday! Merry Christmas!
Jean, this is the nicest note THANK YOU! (and Simma’s rocks!!) Merry Christmas!
Great recipe, and oh so flavorful! You’ll never want to eat a commercially prepared cutout again! I’ve made 8 dozen cutouts so far this year and will be making more. Rolling the dough between sheets of parchment paper is genius, and keeps extra (cookie toughening) flour from being incorporated into the dough. Tip: peel the parchment paper from both sides of the dough sheet, then set the dough back onto the paper prior to cutting. Then the cookies release so much easier from the parchment paper. I have made and froze the sheets of dough, well wrapped, and I’ve also frozen the cutouts unbaked, and then baked as needed. Also, a company called JosephJoseph makes an awesome rolling pin that has rolling pin with hard plastic discs that screw onto the ends, giving you a uniform dough height (available on Amazon). And the mini pie crust cutter holiday shapes sold at Williams Sonoma make beautiful embossed miniature sugar cookie cutouts. The design really shows up when sprinkled with colored sugar. I’ve been baking cutouts for decades so thought I’d share a few additional tips with your readers! Great recipes, Erin. I’m a big fan of yours!
Thank you so much for sharing this! Happy Holidays!!
These sugar cookies worked well for my sons car themed 2nd birthday party yesterday. We loved the hint of citrus from the lemon zest, such a great addition. We tried our best to keep the dough cold but when I was trying to stamp the cookies we found it worked better with flash freezing the dough but I understand most people will probably frost the cookies I just thought we could avoid the additional sugar- these were perfectly sweet and balanced even without frosting! Also I know mine were slightly overbaked but hubby is Brit so prefers biscuits with a bit of crunch.
They look fabulous Sarah! Thanks for sharing!
Has anyone tried this with gluten free flour?
Hi Marie! I think you’d have good success with a 1:1 sub like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur! I haven’t done it but those 2 flours work well for me in cookies.
Great recipe. Chewy and delicious. Dough was easy to work with. Rolling between parchment paper was a great tip. Icing was the perfect addition to the cookies. This will be my new Christmas sugar cookie recipe!
SO glad to hear it Kim! Thank you for taking time to share your feedback, it means a lot!
So glad to hear! Thank you Kim!
Easy to make, decorate and eat!
So happy to hear it Dean, thank you!
I hadn’t made sugar cookies from scratch in likely 25 years. This recipe was not intimidating at all for a novice, and my 13-year-old daughter and I loved it! The cookies came out tender & looking slightly underbaked…exactly as described, which was a good thing! If you wait until they become slightly golden around the edges, you’ve actually waited too long to take them out. I recommend nine minutes, but every oven is different. The frosting needed only 1 teaspoon additional milk to reach the consistency we wanted, and it was easy to work with. My daughter noticed the cookies tasted slightly like the frosted cookies you can purchase at Panera! We love those so in my opinion this recipe was a complete winner!!
So pleased to hear it, thanks for sharing this kind and detailed review!
Reliable sugar cookie recipe that I’ve been making every year with my kids! The cookies are tender to eat but sturdy enough for kids to cut into shapes. Always a hit!
Makes me so happy to hear, thank you Melissa!
We absolutely loved it! These cookies are delicious! The lemon zest paired with almond and vanilla is so elevated and wonderful! These are going into the Christmas rotation each year!
So happy to hear! Thank you Jen!